West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
(WSB photo)
Rain or shine, the show must go on, and Thanksgiving night, it will do just that at 3908 SW Charlestown, home of West Seattle Lights. We stopped by late today to say hi to Jim Winder, programming a synchronized holiday-lights-and-music show for the eighth year at his friends’ house across from the water tower. Jim was doing a bit of last-minute troubleshooting but says it’s all set to go for the first night, 7-10 pm Thursday. Again this year, West Seattle Lights invites donations to the West Seattle Food Bank (you can bring nonperishable food to drop in the bin out front, too) and Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation – none of the donations go toward the show, just directly to those organizations. The WSL website hasn’t yet been updated for this year (the lights come first, and Jim does a show in Maple Valley too) but the schedule is the same one you’ll find on this page, after the special 7 pm-10 pm hours Thanksgiving night.
The West Seattle Food Bank planned to distribute at least 300 holiday-meal birds, and here’s where a big helping came from – at right is Dan Austin, proprietor of Peel & Press (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction, where 20 percent of the proceeds one week ago resulted in 480 pounds of turkey and chicken for the WSFB (whose Judi Yazzolino is in the photo too). You too can indulge in holiday giving, all season long – we have ongoing donation drives in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.
P.S. Dan adds, “P&P will be closed for Thursday and also Friday so my team can all go head home for some family time. We will be back up and running Saturday for brunch!” (A few local restaurants will be open for at least a part-day tomorrow … our list is here.)
We’ve received multiple e-mails today noting that demolition has begun at 2310 California SW in Admiral, former site of Brickyard BBQ. In case you were wondering too – a 4-story mixed-use building is planned at the site, as reported here three weeks ago when mentioning issuance of the demolition permit. The documents for this proposal have mentioned gym, child care, and residential units; one new document describes the residential units as “condominium,” which would be unusual, as almost everything multi-family that’s been built over the past decade in West Seattle has been apartment or townhouse/rowhouse. A different proposal for the site stalled after going through Design Review in the mid-’00s; we noted in February 2014 that the site was for sale, and 10 months later, it was sold.
In West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
FOLLOWUP ON PACKAGE-THEFT SUSPECTS’ ARREST: The official report on yesterday’s incident in Westwood tells a slightly different story than what we were told in the early going. 
The incident was spotted by an officer “on routine patrol” along 35th SW who saw a man run toward a house with two packages on its stoop, scooping them up and running back to a car where a woman was waiting in the driver’s seat. She took off as the officer pulled up; he followed until she dead-ended in an alley and “nearly drove … down an embankment.” The officer recognized both people from “past contacts.” The man “claimed someone had told him to pick up the packages for them” but later, at the precinct, “admitted that he had stolen the packages.” The officer also wrote that the suspect “claimed that (the driver) had picked him up just minutes earlier from Westwood Village” and that they “have known each other for a few years and use drugs together.” She, meantime, claimed he had picked her up there. Police were trying to determine who owned the car. He was arrested for investigation of a drug violation; she was cited for theft, and since that is an official misdemeanor charge, we can identify her as 20-year-old Elizabeth D. Parish. The citation carried a bail amount of $1,000, and she got out of jail a short time ago. It was her fourth stay in the King County Jail this year, according to the register. The other suspect, 33, is still there, and we’re awaiting word on whether he’s having a bail hearing this afternoon.
P.S. The police-report narrative says the victim later went to the Southwest Precinct “and claimed his packages.”
(added) P.P.S., 5:36 PM: The 33-year-old suspect had a bail hearing today and was granted release on personal recognizance; the VINE alert system says he’s being processed for release right now. Probable-cause documents say he’s under investigation for a drug charge because he was found in possession of heroin and meth.
Now, the latest reader reports – both about car prowls:
PROWLED IN PARKING GARAGE: From Israel:
Two vehicles were broken into in the garage parking lot at L.A. Fitness in West Seattle (last night) between the hours of 5:30-7:45 pm. The windows were broken and property was stolen from the cars. A blue hiking backpack containing personal belongings and information, including a passport, immigration documents, flash drives, and iPad was stolen from my car. If anyone sees or finds it dumped on the ground somewhere please contact me directly at 509.434.9355. My name is Israel Martinez. Thank you!!
PROWLED IN WESTWOOD: From Andrei:
I had my car window smashed last night early morning on Trenton and 31st st. All that was missing was a pack of cigarettes.
Please report even the smallest of crimes so at least the stats are accurate – that’s the request from police. After we were prowled last Friday, we filed one report for both vehicles and it took just a few minutes … here’s where to start. (And when you get to the long list of car makes, key in the first few letters of yours so it will jump ahead and you can stop scrolling.)
And one more followup:
STOLEN IN WEST SEATTLE, FOUND IN BURIEN: Jackson‘s stolen Ford Escape, reported here on Monday, turned up at 1st/160th in Burien. Jackson says one person was arrested, and, as seems to be a trend lately: “There was also another bag in the car that was not ours. It had a leather jacket and some new clothing from Macy’s in it.”
The first recreational cannabis store to open in West Seattle, Origins Recreational, is now in its new Junction location, and has just joined the WSB sponsor team. Here’s what they would like you to know about their business:
Origins Recreational is unique in that we pride ourselves on selecting top-quality products from farms who share the same passion and values in cannabis. Origins has spent significant time and resources in creating what we believe to be the first scientific approach to recommending the correct products based on the cannabinoid and terpene profiles. We provide consumers a loyal brand they can be confident in consuming. Origins Recreational pulled away from the pack of cannabis retailers by establishing the Origins Certified™ seal, providing buyers confidence in tested products. All products containing the Origins Certified seal have undergone phenotype terpene testing and pesticide screening. Cultivating a strong relationship with partnered gardens, Origins works with each grower individually to provide the highest quality product, assuring responsible, sustainable farming practices were used to grow it.
Located in West Seattle, our brand is all about the Pacific Northwest and showcasing the natural beauty it offers. Origins‘ local roots trace back to Better Day Gardens, a medical dispensary founded in 2011, so it is a true West Seattle original. For West Seattle locals, they no longer have to go far to purchase their flower, concentrates or edibles.
Origins clients mostly comment on our clean, comfortable environment, superior selection of artisan gardens, and educated cannabis guides. We have heard how excited West Seattle residents are that we made our move into the area. We have worked feverishly to build trust with the community and our patrons. Customers can trust that Origins has taken the extra steps to ensure they are getting the best quality and safest product at the best value. We believe this is why new customers seek us and will return.
Origins Recreational is at 4800 40th SW, with ample parking behind the store. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 11:30 pm. and Sunday from 9 am to 8 pm. Phone: 206-922-3954. Origins will be open Thanksgiving Day (November 24th), 10 am-5 pm.
We thank Origins Recreational for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
From Johanna Fischer, health-center coordinator at West Seattle High School:
All teens are welcome to come to a FREE training on self defense, sexual-assault awareness and relationship-violence education, put on by FIGHT THE FEAR at West Seattle High School on Monday, December 5th from 3:30 to 6 pm in the WSHS Library. This event is OPEN and welcome to students of ALL genders and identities who are interested in learning more about these important topics. Teens under the age of 18 need to have their parent or guardian sign a permission slip in order to participate. Please call Johanna Fischer at 206-658-8048 or email at JohannaF@neighborcare.org for more information.
Here’s a printable PDF of the permission slip. Again, while this is at WSHS, all teens are invited, regardless of where you go to school.
As usual this time of year, we’re updating the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide multiple times a day as new events/info comes in. A few things to mention today:
-You’ll find Thanksgiving information toward the top of the guide, including grocery-store hours for tomorrow and lists of restaurants and coffee shops that told us they plan to be open tomorrow, as well as info on the free community meals in Fauntleroy and South Park, and pre-turkey workouts.
-Looking for an early Christmas tree? We’ve just added three more places to the list in the Holiday Guide, after noticing tree arrivals while out on errands.
-Planning on Black Friday/Shop Small Saturday shopping? The guide includes that info for some local businesses too, and more to come by day’s end. (Added: Here’s the big Junction list.)
As mentioned, we’re updating the guide frequently and appreciate hearing directly from businesses, groups, event organizers, anyone with info that belongs in it – just e-mail us the details at editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
A Vashon Island gallery and gift shop is expanding to add a West Seattle location, just in time for holiday-shopping season. You might have seen the sign in the window at 4400 SW Alaska: Raven’s Nest West is opening this Friday. Co-proprietor Sue Shotridge shares the announcement of the business offering what she describes as “authentic high-quality Northwest Coast Native Art Gallery & Gifts”:
Sue & Israel Shotridge have been partners in business for over 25 years. Israel is a Master Tlingit Artist/ Carver from Ketchikan, Alaska, Sue wears many hats, Jewelry Designer, and Sales, Marketing & Production Director for Shotridge Studios, the Shotridges’ multifaceted NWC Native Art business. The Shotridges established their flagship Raven’s Nest Native Art Gallery & Gift Shop on Vashon Island in 2010. Many of their customers have been coming over to Vashon from West Seattle and urging them to open up a Raven’s Nest in the West Seattle area.
The opportunity to create a stepping stone, a charming intimate Northwest Coast Native Art Gallery & Gifts shop, was presented in early September when 4400 Alaska was completed and ready for tenants at a very busy Junction location. There was one live/work space available on the street level; the Shotridges saw this as an opportunity to extend their business to the West Seattle community to see what interest there would be in marketing NWC Native art here. If it is well-received, future plans are to find a bigger location in a prime spot.
Holiday Business Hours will include Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. Hours may vary, with extended hours closer to the holiday. Check ravensnestwest.com for additional info in the near future.
Ravens Nest West will offer authentic Northwest Coast Native Art & Gifts. Original Wood & Ivory carvings, Limited Edition Art Prints, Hand Engraved Jewelry, Cedar bark Basketry, Seal Fur Jewelry Accessories, Native Art Cards, Holiday Tree Ornaments, many other gift items all in Native imagery, stocking stuffers and much more. In addition to the Shotridges’ artworks created by Sue, Autumn, and Israel Shotridge, a small group of tribal Artists from around the Pacific Northwest Coast will show their artworks at Raven’s Nest West on a regular basis. Art works to be included will be carvings, cedarbark basketry, contemporary glass, deerskin drums, engraved jewelry along with ceramics depicting NWC imagery. A selection of fine apparel including scarfs, shawls and embroidered fleece along with many other native designed gift items will be available.
Sue Shotridge adds that Raven’s Nest West plans a grand opening during the holiday edition of the West Seattle Art Walk on December 8th.
Thanks again to everyone who has been sharing youth-sports-success stories this week – this one is from Perry:
On Saturday, Denny International Middle School defeated Washington Middle School to become the Ultimate Frisbee A Division Champions! They worked incredibly hard over the past 2 Saturdays to defeat 3 of the 4 teams that placed ahead of them in the standings.
Congratulations to coaches Joe and Branden and all the players!
WSB sports coverage is archived here, newest-to-oldest.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:15 AM: Good morning and welcome to Thanksgiving Eve. So far, no incidents in/from West Seattle.
Info you might find useful:
TODAY: Seattle Public Schools get out one hour early today, and won’t be back in session until next Monday.
THANKSGIVING DAY TRANSPORTATION NOTES: Metro buses will be on the Sunday schedule … Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a Sunday schedule too (as is Link light rail) … King County Water Taxi is out of service … Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route will be on a regular schedule … Street parking will be free in areas of the city that have pay stations.
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